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Tag Archives: hannibal

Acclaimed filmmaker Jonathan Demme, know to most for directing The Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia, passed away last week at the age of 73. Known for his personal approach to filmmaking, Demme left behind an extensive portfolio of work, ranging from documentaries, independent films, cult remakes, and blockbuster dramas. His early work dates back to 1970s satire films like Fighting Mad and Handle with Care. Melvin and Howard made the director a household name in 1980, and Mr. Demme went on to direct a number of films and documentaries before making history in the early 1990s with Silence and Philadelphia. Both were box-office successes and culturally significant films that touched on a number of highly debated issues. Continue reading →

This week’s memorable movie moment takes us back to the first sequel to Jurassic Park, The Lost World (1997). Also based on the preceding novel by Michael Crichton, the film is the only Jurassic Park sequel to be directed by Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan, Bridge of Spies), although he has served as executive producer on JP3 (2001) and Jurassic World (2015). In fact The Lost World is the only sequel that Spielberg has opted to direct, outside of the Indiana Jones series. It was also his first time back to film after he took a leave of absence when Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List were completed and became box office hits both in the same year. Author Michael Crichton had titled the book after the famous novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, which also features a mysterious island with dinosaurs and other strange phenomena.

A new adventure/comedy titled Band of Brothers from writing/directing brothers Aaron and Adam Nee (The Last Romantic, The Geniuses) will be seeing a limited release this Friday, January 15th. Featuring brother Adam and lead actor Kyle Gallner (A Haunting in Connecticut, American Sniper) in the lead roles of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, respectively, the film finds the childhood friends as delinquent grown-ups, who, following Finn’s recent prison stint, forms the ‘band of brothers’ with their friends Joe Harper and Ben Rogers in order to finally find the treasure that has eluded them since their youth. Co-starring in the film are actors Matthew Gray Gubler (Criminal Minds, The Life Aquatic w/ Steve Zissou), Hannibal Buress (Neighbors, Daddy’s Home), Melissa Benoist (Whiplash, Supergirl), and Stephen Lang (The Men Who Stare At Goats, Avatar). The film is scheduled to officially premier at this year’s Los Angeles Film Festival on June 13th, and then again in October at the Tallgrass Film Festival, New Hampshire Film Festival, and St. Lawrence International Film Festival. Keep an eye out for a trailer.

It’s been 12 years since Pixar released its original smash hit Finding Nemo, and now Oscar-winning writer/director Andrew Stanton (Toy Story, WALL-E) is returning to the series with a new sequel called Finding Dory. This time around Marlin and Nemo must assist Dory in finding her long lost family in an all new 3D animated adventure that will once again feature the voice talents of Ellen DeGeneres (Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show) as Dory, and Albert Brooks (Drive, A Most Violent Year) as Marlin. Also lending their voice talents to the new film are actors Diane Keaton (The Godfather, Annie Hall), Eugene Levy (American Pie, Best In Show), Ty Burrell (Dawn of the Dead, The Incredible Hulk), Idris Elba (American Gangster, Prometheus), Ed O’Neill (Married…with Children, Modern Family), Kaitlin Olson (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Vacation), and Dominic West (The Forgotten, Hannibal Rising). The new movie won’t be in theaters until Summer 2016, but we’ll be keeping an eye out for additional news and trailers.

This week, a 2010 mystery-drama from the Weinstein Company will finally see a limited American release after having spent five years waiting on the studio shelves. Director Mikael Hafstrom (1408, The Rite) and producer Harvey Weinstein were set to begin principle photography on the film Shanghai in 2008 when the Chinese government suddenly pulled their permits, forcing the production to relocate to Thailand and England to complete filming. The film is a period piece, set in Japanese-occupied Shanghai in the 1940s just months before the attack on Pearl Harbor occurs, and follows an American who returns to probe the mysterious death of his friend. As the mystery begins to unfold, however, and as he falls into a personal romantic relationship, the truth behind his friend’s death begins to reveal a much larger conspiracy at work. Starring in the lead role is actor John Cusack (2012, Hot Tub Time Machine), who has worked with director Hafstrom on the suspense-thriller 1408 in 2007. Also in the supporting cast are actors Li Gong (Miami Vice, Hannibal Rising), Yun-Fat Chow (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Curse of the Golden Flower), and David Morse (The Green Mile, The Hurt Locker). We’re not entirely sure why Weinstein decided to hold the US release back for so long, but this isn’t the first film the company has withheld from the public for a number of years before releasing it. Whatever the case, the Weinstein Company is usually pretty good about investing in worthwhile features, and the trailer reads more like an action-thriller than a romantic drama. Either way it should be a great watch. Enjoy!

Actors Robert DeNiro (Left), Ray Liotta (Center), and Paul Sorvino (Right) were all present to celebrate the Goodfellas anniversary.

This year the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City closed it’s curtains with a special showing of Martin Scorsese‘s 1990 mobster classic, Goodfellas. The film was shown in a new remastered 4K print, and to celebrate the 25th Anniversary, members of the cast, including Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Robert DeNiro (The Godfather Part II, Casino), Ray Liotta (Hannibal, Identity), Lorraine Bracco (The Basketball Diaries, The Sopranos), Paul Sorvino (The Gambler, Romeo + Juliet), and Debi Mazar (Batman Forever, Entourage) reunited at the Beacon Theatre for the special showing. Robert DeNiro introduced the film with a brief speech, noting that Joe Pesci (Home Alone, My Cousin Vinny), who won the 1990 Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Tommy, could not be in attendance. Director Martin Scorsese (The Departed, The Wolf of Wall Street) and producer Irwin Winkler (Rocky, Raging Bull) were also absent, but the audience was able to view special video messages they had sent, as well as a live conversation (hosted by The Daily Show‘s Jon Stewart) with the present cast members, who discussed their personal memories of the film. But the anniversary of the film is only part of the celebration; Goodfellas was filmed (and takes place) in and around New York City, complimenting Robert DeNiro’s goal of celebrating the film heritage of New York City by founding the Tribeca Film Festival. Needless to say I think he’ll have a hard time topping himself next year!